Health monitoring and vital measuring machines in hospital settings are well-known. These machines are used to measure or monitor a patient's vitals such as, body temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure, electrocardiography (electrocardiogram), pulse oximetry, and the like. However, these machines are typically separate from one another such that only a single vital is measured at a time and may require up to twelve (12) electrode leads or a number of different sensors to measure a single vital. For instance, the machine for conducting an electrocardiogram (ECG) requires between three (3) and ten (10) electrodes with exact placement on three (3) and ten (10) points of the patient's body to detect electrical activity of the heart. If exact placement of the electrodes is not achieved, then the measurements will be incorrect which can result in an improper or false diagnosis. A second machine would be required to monitor a different vital, such as respiratory rate or pulse oximetry, which would have its own set of electrodes or sensors as well.
The electrodes or sensors for detecting a particular vital, are connected to the machine through a set of wires, and transmit data relating to the patient's vitals to the machine for processing and analysis by the doctor. Additionally, current machines are often stationary, bulky, and can be heavy to transport between patient rooms. Accordingly, the patient may be covered in multiple wires and will be restricted to only moving as far as the length of the wiring since the machine cannot be moved.
The machines may also have a display integrated therein or may be attached a separate piece of equipment, equally as bulky, through a wired connection. The display shows a graphical or numerical representation of the data obtained by the electrodes. A doctor may review the graphical and/or numerical data on the display or may print the data to analyze and determine if any treatment is necessary. In the past, the print out of the data was added to the patient's medical file. In recent years, those files have been converted into an electronic medical records system, which allows the patient's records to be electronically available on the hospital's individual network. Accordingly, the patient's vital data may be manually or automatically added to the patient's electronic medical records by the doctor or nurse while measurements are taken, which will then become accessible by any computer on the hospital individual network. Alternatively, the machines may be directly connected to the hospital's individual network via a wired or wireless connection and may transmit the data to the patient's medical record. However, these records may not be accessible outside of that particular hospital/hospital network and may not be accessed by or sent to a third party easily for a medical consult.
These systems and machines are very costly to purchase and maintain. As such, each machine's presence is limited and may even require the patient to travel to different rooms to have each vital monitored.
Further, due to the cost and size of these machines, some medical clinics cannot afford to purchase and maintain these machines. Accordingly, these medical clinics are unable to monitor such vitals and would be required to send patients elsewhere to run test or obtain diagnosis and treatment. As such, valuable time is wasted, not to mention, the costs of running the tests are equally as expensive due to the size and costs associated with operating and maintaining the machines. Similarly, traveling medical professions who treat army personnel, athletes, or individuals in areas of countries that do not have access to large medical clinics, hospital, or the machines, cannot monitor such vitals.
Thus, there is a need for a vital monitoring system which is small or compact, lightweight, portable, inexpensive and cost effective such that patients, medical professionals in the field, and small, medium, and large clinics or hospitals can easily obtain and access them. Further, a vital monitoring system is needed that provides a way for third parties to easily access the patient's data in the event a medical consult is required.